FEMALE ATTRACTION GESTURES

Anne Greene here:

In two weeks I'll share Male Attraction Gestures. But this week I'm concentrating on the female.

The Head Toss and Hair Flick:

This is usually the first display a woman uses when she meets a man she’s attracted to. The head is flicked back to toss the hair over the shoulder or away from the face. Even a woman with short hair will flick her hair.  

Pouting Mouth Slightly Open - Marilyn Monroe perfected this look. Lip gloss enhances it. 

Touching - A woman will touch her neck or throat when she’s attracted to a man.  

A Limp Wrist – This is attractive to men because it speaks of submission. 

Exposed Wrists – A woman will show her palms and expose her wrists when she’s attracted to a man. Men consider a woman’s wrists erotic. 

Sideways Glance – A sideways glance over a raised shoulder especially with lowered eyelids beguiles men. Also the sideways glance with the down-tilted head is a come-on gesture. 

Rolling Hips – When a woman walks away from a man and rolls her hips she’s using a centuries’ old courting gesture. 

Most men are afraid to touch a woman’s purse. But if a woman finds a man attractive, she will often caress the handle of her handbag. Placing her purse close to a man is a sign of acceptance. 

Studies show that women and men prefer mates that are pretty much as attractive as they are. Most people are skeptical about beautiful people. They prefer a partner of equal attractiveness to themselves.

These are all interesting facts. A writer is challenged to convert these facts to paper and use them on their characters. Good luck in your writing.

 

Some of these gestures are unconscious and some are probably deliberate. Which do you think are deliberate? Do you have any favorite gestures you use in your writing that you would like to share with us? 

Please leave a comment to win a copy of A Texas Christmas Mystery just in time for Christmas! Please leave your email address when you comment. I’d love for you to join my community by becoming a follower.                  

Anne Greene’s Scottish historical romance, Marriage By Arrangement, a sequel to Masquerade Marriage, just released and is available at http://www.amazon.com, Anne Greene author, or at http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com or wherever you love to shop online.

 

Some of Anne's interesting information was inspired by the book, BODY LANGUAGE, by Allan and Barbara Pease.

 

 

HALLOWEEN BLOG HOP

Anne Greene here:

In keeping with Halloween, and the Blog Hop, Things That Go Bump, I’ve not seen any good suspense movies lately. Nor have I read any good suspense novels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I’ll discuss the suspense in my own novels. Masquerade Marriage is a Scottish historical set in 1746. The heroine flees from an awful arranged marriage to a sadistic duke. But she has nowhere to hide where the duke can’t find her. He wants her fortune and her ability to bear him a son. Her only way out is to get married. She chooses a name from a secret list of Highland warriors with a price on their heads. The hero seeks only to protect his mother and younger sister from the soldiers who seek their death. When he marries the heroine she gives him the protection of her identity, her wealth, and her castle. In their suspenseful race against death, the unlikely pair discover unexpected love.

 

A Texas Christmas Mystery finds the hero framed for murder. Sparks fly as the lady coastguardsman seeks to arrest the oil rig troubleshooter. She needs to solve her first case, but the handsome Cajun suspect makes her heart race and her toes tingle. He’s worked all his life for his high-paying adventurous job. When the past threatens his future, will he endanger the woman he loves to save himself? This book is filled with suspense. 

In Marriage By Arrangement, why does a handsome, powerful noble of the highest rank in England stoop to marry a mere Lady of Lowland Scotland? 

Are the whispered stories about him true? With his shadowy past and strange behavior, what awful secret does he hide? Can the lady keep her vow to make her marriage happy, unlike that of her parents, or to save her unborn child and her own life, must she arrange for the duke’s death?                               

 

Which book do you think contains the most suspense?

 

Leave a comment to enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of all three books.

 

ANNE GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won the New England Reader Choice award, the Laurel Wreath Award, and the Heart of Excellence Award. The sequel Marriage By Arrangement released in December, 2013.  A Texas Christmas Mystery also won several awards. She makes her home in McKinney, Texas. Tim LaHaye led her to the Lord when she was twenty-one and Chuck Swindoll is her Pastor. View Anne’s travel pictures and art work at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com. Anne’s highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new world and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Buy Anne’s books at http://www.PelicanBookGroup.com. Or at http://www.Amazon.com.

 

 

 

 

 

                     THE CRUCIAL FIRST CHAPTER

                   

Anne Greene, here. Welcome to my writing class.

Down through the years of writing and being a charter member of ACFW when it was ACRW, I’ve learned so much of the craft of writing that God is nudging me to share all that valuable information. I believe my new writing class will cut five years off the learning curve to writing award-winning Christian fiction.

So, let’s get started!

Open that fresh-idea book with an exceptional hook that grabs the reader and keeps her reading the next sentence…and the next…and the next. Dig deep into your imagination and find the first exciting, action-filled scene and plunk the reader into the middle of that movement. The first sentence should also point to the book’s theme.

 

Skipping to the end of that first crucial chapter, leave your reader with a cliffhanger. Just as the opening line must hook the reader, the end of the chapter must grab the reader and entice her to keep reading. Never tie up your chapter’s loose ends here. Instead, have your hero/heroine make a decision for further action or have him/her pose a new story question. 

 

After your opening hook, the main characters must be introduced. The first time each character is mentioned, their entire name must be revealed. The reader needs to picture the main characters in their minds as early as possible. Perhaps have the hero describe the heroine and vise verse. And, of course, no hero or heroine describes themselves. Don’t introduce too many characters in the first chapter. When you do introduce a new character, give the reader of picture of him/her. Each character deserves an introduction.

 

Introduce the main characters' utmost desire and the obstacles keeping them from attaining what they would just about die to get. Be strong bringing in each character’s motivation. The main characters should have a flaw which will allow a character arc to build during the story.

 

Introduce a character’s faith or lack thereof. (This is good for contests that drop points if you don’t have this part covered early in your story). Other than for contests, the faith element may be introduced in a later chapter. When you do introduce the faith problems, drop in tidbits of his/her faith need through the way the character reacts to various circumstances in their lives.

 

Develop the character and his/her emotions. I’ll discuss this in more detail at my writing school. Be sure to keep checking the ACFW loop for details.

 

Make the hero and heroine vivid, likeable characters. Give them some quirk to make them come alive. Give the character room to change and grow.

 

Make the secondary characters believable. Add them only to provide a valid addition to the story. Don’t let your secondary characters take over the story. Tell them to wait for their own story. Please don’t have too many secondary characters. This can be confusing to the reader.

 

Read my next article on Make Your Manuscript Sparkle, and climb inside the character’s skin. Write only what the POV character can see, think, feel, taste and know. This draws your reader into totally relating to your character. Of course, SHOWING is different. I’ll have a lesson on that interesting subject as well. 

 

Set the dialogue first in a paragraph. Don’t bury it at the end. Make what the characters say real and relevant. Listen to your characters. For me and many other writers, the characters lead the action and write the story. Take time to listen to them.  

 

Check each fact for accuracy. Give details. This makes the story authentic. I know this slows your writing, but it is soo important. One wrong reference can make a reader disbelieve your entire story. If she’s like me, she will throw the book against the wall and never pick it up again.

 

Give the reader a sense of where the characters are at all times. Descriptions of rooms, sense of space and flow are all important. No talking heads. Vividly-written action supplies mood as well.

 

The first chapter is important. Don’t let the reader down. So, now I just made writing that first chapter easier. I wish I had known all these tips when I started writing! Go with God and write the excellent Christian fiction book He wants you to write. And don’t forget to look for this blog with the free writing classes.

 

Has this class helped you? Leave a comment and one reader will receive an autographed copy of my book, Masquerade Marriage.